A docking station is a computer peripheral that allows a user to utilize a portable computing device, a laptop computer, for example, on a desktop. The docking station may perform various functions through various ports on the portable computing device such as an external keyboard, an external mouse, a video connection to a desktop monitor, power and network communications.
In current systems, different laptops may require the use of different docking stations. This may be the result of differences in features, differences in design, differences in connectors, device size and so on. As a result of these differences, a user that upgrades a laptop PC will most likely have to purchase a new docking station in order to dock their new laptop PC. As more and more features are being placed in the docking station, the cost of purchasing a new docking station also increases. Hence, while it may be reasonable to purchase a passive docking station, it may be prohibitively expensive to purchase a new docking station with, for example, the upgrade of a new laptop.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.